FREE | November 2023
Stories to be told Fun for everyone
Abracadabra
Dispensing hope
The Bangalow Show
A magical history
Medicinal cannabis
bangalowherald.com.au
issue no.77
LIVING LOCAL
Tapping into joy
You might think your dancing days are in the past. However, it’s never too late to bring dance back into your life. And why not make it tap dancing? When you think about tap dance, what comes to mind? You’d likely think of legends from a bygone era, like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Or perhaps you would be transported to Philadelphia or New York in the 1930s to see tap dancers dance on street corners where ‘Different corners had reputations for their respective skill level.’ In Bangalow, tap dancing is alive and kicking, literally. A group of 12 local women comes together twice a week at the Bangalow RSL Hall to connect, learn and express through dance. The group is made up of women ranging in age from 30 to 84, some who have never danced before, others who picked up their tap shoes again after 20 years, and those who never stopped dancing their whole lives.
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Judith Harvey (Judy) is at the helm. She was was born and raised in Bangalow and started dancing when she was four years old. Judy picked up dancing again when she was 50 years old, joining a group called Bay Belles in Byron Bay. Her teacher passed away four years ago, and it was their dying wish for Judy to take over the class. The dance group then moved to Bangalow, and the Bangalow Tap Divas was born with new dancers joining over this time. Judy says, “Dancing is a great activity to pursue at any age. Dancing fosters good health, well-being, and social change. It’s a way to make new friends, it brings us happiness and helps us take a break from the monotony of life. All in all, dance is something we all can do. The hard part is taking the first step, and after that, everything becomes easier. Teaching dance gives me great pleasure, and then to see the group take on new routines each year to showcase at our annual concert is so fulfilling.”
As many of the Tap Divas are in their prime, it’s inspiring to know that a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that dancing regularly reduced the risk of dementia by 76%, which was twice as much as the pastime of reading – and let’s not forget about the mood-lifting benefits and good oldfashioned fun that dancing provides. The Bangalow Tap Divas have a repertoire of over 10 dances and will be showcasing some of these at their end-of-year concert at the Bangalow Anglican Church Hall in Ashton Street on 25 November starting at 10 am. The ladies in the troupe ‘dance because we can’. They love the camaraderie, connection, community, and, in particular, love to perform. It all began with the courage to try something new. Let’s remember that life begins at the edge of our comfort zone. Could I interest you in a dance? Aurora Pagonis
The Bangalow Herald
The Bangalow
From the Editor A couple of months ago, a beautiful handwritten letter was delivered to me, the sender, Margaret Hosking-Pippen, a sprightly 95-year-old woman, Bangalow born and bred. She’s a long-time Heartbeat/Herald reader and she invited me to tea at her aged care residence in Ballina, to chat about her memories of growing up in 2479. I took up the invitation and sat with Margaret, marvelling at her stories (and incredible memory) for over an hour and a half.
Go with a bank from around here. Where the locals go.
It struck me, as I began writing up the story, that listening has become a forgotten art. Often in a conversation – particularly one that we are passionate about – we’re thinking about what we are going to say next, not really concentrating on what is being said. Active listening is such a valuable practice in our fast-paced world (and as a writer, it’s an essential element in any interview). It requires us to really tune in to the other person, and to put our preconceptions or judgements aside. It also requires patience and respect. No story worth telling comes out full formed, it might segue, go off track, then meander back. The active listener must be patient, and present, restating what is being said back to the speaker to ensure we have understood. Really listening to someone else takes respect. Our modern arrogance and ease of access to information and ‘facts’ makes us feel that we know everything. We tend to come to conversations with our ideas at least partially formed. Closing our ears to the voices of others means that stories are unheard, experiences are devalued, and diversity is lost. Hearing Margaret’s stories, I am reminded that working, parenting, participating in community, and the joy of entertaining with friends connects us. But her stories also leave me with a new perspective. I’ve learned something about history and the lived experience of another. And I’m glad I took the time to listen. Sally Schofield
We acknowledge the original storytellers of the land on which we live and work, the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung Nation. Editor: Sally Schofield editor@bangalowherald.com.au Advertising: Pippa Vickery advertising@bangalowherald.com.au What’s On: Sally Schofield whatson@bangalowherald.com.au Design: Gaby Borgardts - GEEBEE design Cover image: ‘Bush poets’ by Lyn McCarthy Niche Pictures facebook.com/thebangalowherald bangalowherald.com.au Contributors: Carolyn Adams, Jenny Bird, Georgia Fox, Carole Gamble, Mary Gardner, Lyn Hand, Murray Hand, Tony Hart, Lyn McCarthy, Christobel Munson, Greg Nash, Aurora Pagonis, Angela Saurine, Sally Schofield, Sonja Voumard.
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Accounts: Sue Franklin Printed by Lismore City Printery DISCLAIMER: This news magazine is published by The Bangalow Herald Inc. (registration no. INC 1601577). Membership applications are open to all adult residents of the 2479 postal district and surrounds. The opinions expressed by individual contributors are not necessarily shared by the editor, nor members of the association’s editorial or management committees.
November 2023
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LOCAL HISTORY
The old Book Barn Photo supplied
Filming the iconic 1981 commercial Photo supplied
Hamilton Du Lieu and his daughter Rebecca Photo Georgia Fox
Golden days – 50 years of Abracadabra when a friend suggested renting a shop in Bangalow for half of what they were paying. They leased the old butcher’s shop and stowed their belongings, but in 1973 the owner announced he didn’t want to rent it anymore and offered to sell for $2,000 - the equivalent of just under $23,000 in today’s money. And abracadabra alakazam, a Bangalow institution was born, responsible for giving the region a 30-year-long catchy TV campaign and generations of local teenagers their first job.
The original shop before the additions Photo supplied
The story of how Abracadabra came to be, 50 years ago this year, paints a picture of a very different time in an almost unrecognisable place. “Terminal to trendy,” laughs proprietor Hamilton Du Lieu of the transformation he has witnessed the town go through over a halfcentury of enormous change.
through the main street each day, scraping awnings, rattling buildings and making it difficult to cross. Some storefronts had people living in them. Others sat empty. His daughter Rebecca remembers playing ‘shops’ in one where the proprietors had simply walked out, leaving everything behind.
The 70s saw Bangalow very down on its luck. “Everyone said it was a dying town,” he explains. Hundreds of semi-trailers barrelled
The Du Lieus and their three young daughters had been storing their furniture for a couple of years after relocating from Sydney in 1970,
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Initially a bric-a-brac, book and old-wares dealer selling stock sourced from clearing sales and auctions, Hamilton asked the petrol station next-door if he could park on their land. To his surprise, they informed him he’d bought the vacant lots around the old timber building too - gaps left by the 1931 fire which took out that row of shops, including the original Bangalow Herald whose charred stumps remain beneath the floor today. Leaking like a sieve and sinking into the ground, Hamilton describes it as a “shockingly bad building,” built by unskilled labour during the Depression with timber salvaged from the old butter factory. Old wicker washing baskets from clearing sales were always quick to sell, giving Hamilton the “light bulb” moment of sourcing baskets. They burnt incense to mask the musty smell from the leaks, upsetting passers-by who assumed it was marijuana and crossed the
The Bangalow Herald
highway to avoid inhaling it. “When we realised people were offended by it, we thought ‘great!’, and started selling that too.” Apart from “You sell smokes?”, the number one question Hamilton was asked was “Why on earth are you here?”. As the original “odd people” they were met with suspicion, and even “thoroughly investigated and surveilled” as a possible channel of drugs into the region. But Hamilton was on a mission to further transition away from his career in advertising and spend more time with his family. As a young copywriter in London working for a transnational agency, he was sent to Sydney in 1963 for a year “to show the Australian end how to do ‘proper advertising’”. Shocked to find the Australians doing just fine, and that everything was not trying to kill him, they soon realised they had been “comprehensively lied to about how primitive and dangerous the country was”. The Du Lieus decided to stay. He spent the next seven years at a Sydney agency managing highprofile asbestos, airline, alcohol and tobacco accounts, but as well as never getting to see his family, he grew increasingly uncomfortable with what he saw as his role as a “merchant of death… everything I specialised in killed people”. They headed north “with no prospects or thought,” living in a rudimentary shed on a banana farm at Middle Pocket, owned by a colleague’s wife’s family. He was soon in highdemand as a freelancer, particularly as a jingle-writer for car dealers in Brisbane, who ferried him by light aircraft from the Tyagarah airstrip. The shop unconventionally opened only on weekends in the early days. “People would go for Sunday drives and nowhere else was open.” But it was tough going. “All the money I earned during the week, I lost on the weekend,” he smiles. Undeterred, they rolled up their sleeves and self-built the ‘Book Barn’ and former hair salon on the eastern half of the site, later adding the warehouse and residence out the back. Most of their deliveries arrived by train to the Bangalow station, and semi-trailers of books and comics, diverted from being pulped, were unloaded at the A&I Hall and sold two-for-one at 20 cents. Hamilton’s iconic 1981 ad might be the “cheapest commercial ever made,” laughs Rebecca, who features in the ad herself and still works in the store today, now alongside her daughter Sophie. For the ad, the letters ‘Abracadabra’ were cut out of felt and pinned to the yellow t-shirts worn by a line-up of local young women bearing famous Old Bangalow names such as Jarrett, Solway and Flick. (The ads, along with a treasure-trove of historic photos of the shop and town can be found on the Abracadabra website.) The 1994 highway bypass was the genesis of many new businesses, with Abracadabra serving as an inspiration. “People figured if a basket shop like mine could make it, they could too,” says Hamilton. He’s watched as waves of shopkeepers from capital cities have passed through - lots of “black and white” from Melbourne, “country-style” from Brisbane, and “kind of raffish ones” from Sydney. Asked how he feels about the gentrification of the town, he is full of enthusiastic praise for all the “smart and lovely” people that have enriched the community. He still lives out the back, making the “big commute” across the deck each day. Customers often reminisce about growing up with the jingle, or bring in their grandchildren to show them their favourite shop from when they were little. “That’s one of the things that can happen in 50 years,” he says, gesturing at Rebecca, “even your youngest daughter can become a grandmother”. Hamilton’s great-grandsons attend Bangalow Public, and, along with his penchant for early mornings, are the driving force behind the rather unconventional new opening hours of 5:30am to 2pm (12pm on weekends). “Afternoons are for family time,” he explains. While the early mornings might not be particularly busy, he says he’s “not a fan of busy,” and his morning visitors are among some of the “best people in the world”. “Broadly speaking, we’re not about making money, we’re about having fun.” When asked about his plans for retirement, he is characteristically unorthodox in his attitude. “I don’t work, so how can I retire? You can’t retire from fun!” Georgia Fox
November 2023
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LIVING LOCAL
2479 votes Yes The bruising Voice to Parliament Referendum is over, and Australia voted No. But 2479 bucked the trend and showed a strong Yes vote across all of its four polling booths. The figures are unusual for a rural regional area.
All other polling booths in Byron Shire voted with a majority of Yes. All but two booths recorded Yes votes of between 60% and 75%. ABC election analyst Antony Green commented that “Seats with a high social status have tended to vote Yes.” Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Technology said that “having higher education in particular contributes to someone’s likelihood of voting Yes”. Further he described other factors that affected which way people voted as including “education, income, age and gender.”
These analyses correlate closely with Bangalow’s demographic profile and socioeconomic status. The 2021 ABS Census placed Bangalow in the top 10% of socioeconomically advantaged suburbs/ localities in Australia. Yet the campaign in 2479 was not all smooth sailing, and we did not escape the misinformation and conspiracy theories that blemished the debate. Corflutes were stolen from private property under cover of darkness, sometimes repeatedly. Anonymous letters appeared in letterboxes claiming that
the ‘true agenda’ of the Yes campaign was a communist plot. Pens were handed out at nearby polling booths because, according to some, the Australian Electoral Commission were going to rub out pencilled No votes. Despite it all, whilst Australians overall voted to live in No Land, here in Byron Shire we live in a community who voted to live in Yes Land. I am unashamedly proud of that. Jenny Bird
Delta Kay at Bangalow Parklands Photo Lyn McCarthy – Niche Pictures
FULLY FUND THE FLOOD RECOVERY
State and federal Labor governments have found $11.1 billion dollars to subsidise the fossil fuel industry over the last financial year. And yet, thousands of flood survivors are still waiting for the promised $0.7 billion for the Resilient Homes Program to pay for buybacks, retrofits and house-raises for flood-affected homes. If we can afford to waste billions of dollars on coal and gas, we can afford to fully fund the flood recovery.
TAMARA SMITH MP MEMBER FOR BALLINA
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The Bangalow Herald
RESILIENT 2479
Heat havens in the spotlight
The newly formed Bangalow Resilience Network discuss strategies for caring for community through environmental emergencies Photos Lyn McCarthy Niche Pictures
have been called ‘silent’ killers and they are predicted to become more frequent, more intense and longer in duration in the wake of climate change, according to a 2020 report from Doctors for the Environment Australia. It says the death toll from heatwaves has exceeded that for any other environmental disaster, including floods, bushfires and cyclones.
Identifying ‘heat havens’ where people – especially the elderly – can go for respite during heatwaves has emerged as one of the key focuses of the recently formed Bangalow Resilience Network. The volunteer organisation, which consists of members of community groups including Bangalow Lions Club, Connecting Generations and Community and Bangalow CWA, has begun compiling a list of buildings with air-conditioning in the area. They include Bangalow Men’s Shed, Bangalow Bowlo, the A&I Society Hall and Bangalow Heritage House and Museum. Heatwaves
The Network has also developed working groups to research such things as ways to improve communication when internet and phone connections are lost during a natural disaster, as they were during the 2021 floods, such as creating an emergency radio network with CB radios at community hubs. It is also mapping local neighbourhoods, identifying evacuation locations and sites for shelters and working on how to best coordinate donations. Other topics include educating the community on how to prepare for natural disasters, coordination, and planning. At its last meeting at Bangalow Heritage House and Museum in October, Natalie Meyer from Nimbin Disaster Resilience Group shared her insights regarding issues encountered
during the 2019 bushfires, such as managing SES volunteers and helicopters landing at Nimbin Showgrounds. She said the biggest issue faced was managing spontaneous volunteers, especially in dangerous situations. The group has since developed a plan to be better prepared for future, including having a shipping container filled with gear needed in an emergency, generators on standby and setting up Starlink modems and accounts. The group has also identified different people’s skills that they can contribute, assigned people with specific roles to improve organisation and has begun using an online platform called Monday. com that helps track offers of equipment and donations. If you are interested in joining one of the working groups please email ruth@ reclaimingjoy.com or phone 0413 261 011. The next Bangalow Resilience Network meeting will be held at Bangalow Heritage House and Museum on Wednesday November 8 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Angela Saurine
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November 2023
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LIVING HISTORY “We married young, those days. We were 21. It was a struggle. The wages weren’t very high but we saved and you got through,” she recalls, adding that the local grocer, Russell Blanch, made sure no one went without. “If you didn’t have any money each week, he put it down in a book for you to pay when he got your wages. You don’t hear of that now.” Margaret’s four children were born in the second hospital, on Granuaille Road next to today’s Mirabelle Childcare centre, and all attended the now long-gone Catholic school in Deacon Street, marked today by a plaque from the Historical Society. “In those days, you made do with something out of nothing. For instance, my dad had a pair of pants and where he put his wallet down the back there’d be a big hole. And my mum would say, ‘I’ll unpick all this, and you wash it, and find a pattern, and we’ll make him (Robert) pants for the winter’. So, I learned to sew as I went along.” Margaret is sharp in recollection and observation, and robust with the resilience of a country born-and-bred woman whose lifetime has been bookended by the Great Depression and a global pandemic.
Tea with Margaret Boulder Rockway in the Bangalow Parklands Bangalow born-and-bred Margaret Hosking-Pippen Photo supplied
Margaret Hosking-Pippen invited Sally Schofield to tea to chat about her lifetime in Bangalow. It’s a hot, snaky day but inside the spacious Crowley Care aged care facility in Ballina it is cool. Margaret Hosking-Pippen’s son Robert (Hock) Hosking escorts me though the calm corridors, pointing out the features of the residence. Earlier this year, Margaret, now 95, suffered a bout of ill-health, and after she’d recovered, sent a letter to the Editor of the Bangalow Herald, inviting me to come and hear her stories. I was more than happy to oblige – in my role at the Herald, I’ve become more aware that we only hear about the incredible lives of others only in their passing.
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Margaret has secured a quiet meeting area for us to chat and brings with her ‘a small selection’ of her photos, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia. She is petite in that way that many older women become when they’ve been alive as long as she has. After parking her walker she takes a seat at the large round table, her back to the sun. The sky is brilliant blue, a few cordylines bob happily in their garden bed behind her. A staff member pops over with cups of tea and some Scotch Finger biscuits as Margaret begins. “I was born Margaret Anne Connelly in Bangalow’s first hospital on 28 November 1928,” she starts, “the first hospital was located near the Police Station in Byron Street. I married Jim Hosking, who worked for the Post Master General in Bangalow from 1950 until he passed away in 1982 aged just 52. Too young. We had four children – Robert, Helen, Terri and John.
“We didn’t have much of a vegetable garden but what we had we shared with the neighbours in our street. Everybody helped each other and the kids. “The kids in town were pretty good”, she says, “entertaining themselves at the local pool or climbing the huge pine trees near the Catholic church. But sometimes they got into a bit of mischief…” she nods towards her eldest son Robert who’s sitting with us. Sounds like a story for another time. “The kids had a small amount of pocket money and went along to Church-run stalls, always returning with a little something for me,” says Margaret. Good kids, I think to myself. “We never had a corner shop in Bangalow then, so if you were having visitors, you couldn’t say ‘I’m going to nip down and get a cooked chicken and I’ll make up a heap of salads.’ If you were having cooked chicken, you had to get that chicken in the oven yourself! “When the kids went to school, I did the lunches the night before so when I got them off to school, I would go and work for three or four hours,” Margaret says, adding that fruit picking was a common part-time job for working mothers. “We used to get in cars and give the one that took us some money for the petrol and go out to the farms where farmers had a whole lot of peas, or strawberries or tomatoes all coming on at the same time. They’d be calling for pickers and we’d spend the day picking. But it was backbreaking, all that bending over. You’re crawling on your bum by the end of the day, and that’s true!” she laughs.
The Bangalow Herald
Margaret’s first camel ride at the Bangalow Centenary 1981 Photo supplied
Eileen Buckley, Gloria Mortimer (Boyle) and Margaret Hosking-Pippen (Connolly) 1946 Photo supplied
Margaret and family in 2020 Photo supplied
Life seems infinitely simpler in those times, but I’m drawn to the similarities, especially the ways in which this village continues to show a strong sense of community to this day. “We used to have ‘house parties’ at your place or my place, and we’d have a chocolate wheel, and then men could have drinks, and the women could have drinks if they wanted, and the women supplied the finger food or cakes. I used to make a Banana Cake, that some people liked to have with butter on it, or there might be a slice made with nuts and cherries,” says Margaret. In that way, village life has not changed that much. Remember the homely ways we helped each other out over the difficult past few years, with neighbours messaging the street’s WhatsApp group looking for chocolate, wine or Panadol, or sharing home cooked meals, homemade jams, passing on hand-me-downs to neighbours? Sure, our ‘house parties’ might be a little different these days, but the spirit of connection and companionship is exactly same. I’m looking forward to my next cuppa with Margaret. I’m bringing Banana Cake. Sally Schofield November 2023
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GROWING BOLD
No Filter Photographer Francis Cloake is exploring the reality of our ageing bodies by capturing women in their 70s and older in their underwear for an upcoming exhibition, writes Angela Saurine. Francis Cloake was visiting a friend in Byron Bay last August when she noticed her elderly mother sunbathing by the pool in her underwear. The photographer, who specialises in social documentary, asked Shirley if she could take her photo. “Of course, why not?” she replied. Francis was surprised how relaxed the 89-year-old was about being photographed near naked. Little did either of them realise that the picture would end up on display at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra when the image was chosen as a finalist for this year’s National Photographic Portrait Prize. Francis – who is represented by Pack Gallery Studio in Bangalow’s art precinct – was inundated with messages from people who saw the exhibition saying how much they loved the photo and how inspired they were by Shirley. “She is the real Barbie,” one person wrote. Realising that we rarely see older women photographed in their underwear, Francis decided to embark on a series called No Filter, capturing women in their 70s and older and asking them how they feel about their bodies. She has photographed 20 women so far. One of them is Marie, who giggled when Francis asked her what it was like having an Shirley Photo Francis Cloake
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The Bangalow Herald
The artist Francis Cloake Photo supplied
Linda Photo Francis Cloake
older body. “I finally got a cleavage at 70,” she replied. Laurel, 82, proudly announced that her husband had never seen her naked throughout their entire married life, while Robyn shared that her body was rolling and folding exactly as her mother’s body did. “I have a crease in exactly the same place,” she said as she pointed to her stomach. “I look in the mirror and I say, ‘why, hello Nola!’”
that portrays the essence of the person. That is the challenge — not only feeling the essence of the person when you are with them, but conveying that feeling in the photograph.” Francis says there is a degree of direction required when she takes the portraits. She has to choose where in their house she wants to take the photograph, how she wants them to stand or sit, whether she wants them to look at the camera or not, and if she wants them to smile. “I love how emotive a photographic image can be,” Francis says. “It is a powerful medium of storytelling.”
Francis says she greatly enjoys the time she spends with her subjects. “Being photographed in their underwear can make people a little nervous, so it’s my job to make them feel relaxed and comfortable,” she says. “I usually spend an hour with my sitters in their home. Half the time is spent chatting and getting a sense of the person. When I take their photograph, I want to create an image
Originally from Coober Pedy in South Australia, Francis moved to Byron Bay in 2003. She began being represented by Pack Gallery Studio three years ago after meeting
one of the co-owners, Paula Bannan. “Paula and I regularly swim across the bay together,” she explains. “She was after a photographer to represent at the gallery when it opened and asked me if I would be interested.” Francis is also known for her fine art photography, and her series ‘Surf’ is sold at the gallery. Her goal is to shoot another 40 women for the No Filter project before selecting 20 to 25 of the best images for an exhibition in the Northern Rivers in March 2025. To volunteer to be photographed, send Francis a direct message on Instagram @franciscloakephotos or email francis.cloake@gmail.com
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November 2023
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SHOW TIME
Dave Eastwell throws his hat into the ring Photo Flash Pony
What in blazes is campdrafting? participated in this competition. The sport’s rules and judging practises were later developed by Clarence Smith and haven’t changed much since. Similar in some ways to the rodeo events popular in the USA, campdrafting allows riders to display their skills working with cattle including cutting and penning. Cutting is the term Wayne Olive riding bareback Photo Flash Pony used when isolating a single animal from Campdrafting is back again at this year’s the herd, so it can be branded, castrated or if Bangalow Show. it’s in need of treatment. Stockmen can drove For those new to the event, it’s a or muster thousands of head of cattle across showstopping display of horsemanship plains, so being able to ‘cut out’ a single beast thought to have begun as a bit of fun for is a crucial skill in managing the herd. stockmen in rural Queensland some time in the In the campdrafting event, a rider enters the 19th century. It is now recognised as a sport yard and chooses one animal from a small that demonstrates the skill of the rider and the herd of cattle. Then, he or she moves the horse. beast towards the camp entrance, which is The Tenterfield Show hosted the first official blocked by two gates. To demonstrate the camp drafting contest in 1885. A cattleman horse’s training and skill, the rider blocks and horse breeder named Clarence Smith and turns numerous times across the face of 12
the camp, keeping the beast away from the herd. When the rider is satisfied, they have demonstrated sufficient handling, they request the gates be opened and then move into a larger arena to complete ‘the run’. In the campdrafting competition, the rider then proceeds to draft (work) the beast around a figure eight-shaped course in a larger arena. They must complete this section in less than 40 seconds. Once that is completed, the rider then guides the steer through a ‘gate’ represented by two pegs in the ground. Once ‘gated’, the camp draft is complete. The rider earns up to a total of 100 points for horsemanship and control of the beast. There are several draft events on the program including those for women riders, juniors and novice riders, as well as seasoned stockmen, bareback riders, and a family draft where points from different family members are accumulated. Prize money is on offer along with the prestigious Dave Kleinschmidt Memorial Trophy. Entries close Monday 13 November, 3pm Find out more bangalowshow.com.au The Bangalow Herald
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SHOWTIME
122 Bangalow Show ND
Friday 17th and Saturday 18th November H FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY H Lots to enjoy for all the family at the Bangalow Show Photo Lyn McCarthy Niche Pictures
Family fun on the Village Green
At this year’s Bangalow Show, Friday 17 and Saturday 18 November, the Village Green will become a Country Family Fair in style with this year’s show theme, ‘Family.’ Families are invited to bring a picnic rug and enjoy a range of entertainment on Friday evening, with a more relaxed vibe to the highpaced Saturday ring entertainment. Watch the campdraft competition or enjoy family games in the Village Green while enjoying music from the talented Hubcap Stan and the Sidewalk Stompers, a country rock and blues band with a Texas swing. Front man, Stan Ceglinski will showcase his woodworking skills both days. Come and try your hand using a timber shaving horse and learn about Australian bushcraft. Entertainment across the weekend on the Village Green also includes Steve’s Reptile World, Petting Farm by Amazing Animals to You, and kids’ entertainment by Helly Hoops. The family entertainment continues Saturday along with the much-loved Village Green competitions. Kicking off at 10am is the Tart of the Show, the star ingredients of this year’s tart competition are blueberry and lemon! This will be followed by Family Frolics (egg and spoon race, threelegged race and sack race), the Boot Toss competition, the Bang Burger Bar Big Bang Bite, the Bangalow Herald Bush Poets competition and pop-up community performances. The final Saturday entertainment on the Village Green will be the Rochelle Lees Band playing from 6.30pm until close. After the Main Ring entertainment and fireworks, it’s time to dance off those boots! The Lions Kiosk BBQ and Bar and local food trucks will have your dinner sorted. The Village Green coordinator is still searching for local community groups to get involved. If you or your community group want to showcase your creativity, or wish to have a space for community engagement, please contact Ashleigh Olive on 0473 450 080. Murray Hand November 2023
FIREWORK DISPLAY SIDESHOW ALLEY STOCKMAN IRONMAN COMP HORSES, CATTLE & POULTRY SATURDAY ENTERTAINMENT
BABY ANIMALS
LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT
& MUCH MORE
Gate Entry Adults – $15 High School – $7
Pensioners – $7 12 & Under – FREE
Memberships must be paid by November 11th 2023
Schedules and further information online
@ bangalowshow.com.au or find us on facebook
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LOCAL PERSPECTIVES
Dispensing hope Long time Bangalow resident, Jit Chong, is a community pharmacist. In September, he opened The Little Dispensary in Brunswick Heads. It is one of very few pharmacies between Coffs Harbour and the Gold Coast to exclusively dispense medicinal cannabis products. Here he speaks with Christobel Munson. Jit Chong has been a pharmacist for decades - including more than four years working in Bangalow. He has observed some amazing results among clients using medicinal cannabis products since he started dispensing them. “I have witnessed some incredible benefits in using medicinal cannabis in managing chronic pain,” he said. “Using these super safe medicines, some people are able to reduce opiate consumption - or in some cases, even cease opiate use altogether with hardly any side effects. This is something I’ve never come across in my 22 years as a pharmacist.” The most common conditions for which medicinal cannabis products are prescribed by a doctor are insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, pain from cancer treatment, even childhood epilepsy. The website of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) lists the conditions for which it has approved the use of medicinal cannabis products.
Community pharmacist Jit Chong Photo Christobel Munson
Born in Malaysia – a country with heavy anti-drug policies - Jit trained at Monash University in the 1990s, moving to Bangalow with his family in 2006. When the pharmacist in Brunswick Heads retired six years ago, Jit took over his practice. Once medicinal cannabis products were approved four years ago, he began dispensing them from that pharmacy, finding that, “those years were a good learning curve for me, especially having come from a country where there was so much stigma and misinformation. I was very skeptical at first.” When a shop around the corner became available, he decided to
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open in a separate space called The Little Dispensary, to service local customers and patients exclusively. “The business had grown and it became hard to contain it within the pharmacy. Unlike conventional medications offering, say, standardised pills, it’s quite involved with these products. Because there’s so much stigma and myths surrounding cannabis, you need to be able to provide patients with education and the right information. You need extra time to be able to offer patients proper focus and service. Education is a big part of my work.” The main form of the mostly Australian-made cannabis products are pre-prepared oils, as well as the buds of cannabis flowers. Using the flower buds comes with a caveat. “We discourage using the buds to roll a joint, but do encourage using a dry herb vapouriser,” he explained. “It gently heats the flower buds, extracting and activating the volatile oil, so that you inhale the vapours. The compounds then get absorbed via the lungs, much like how Ventolin (for asthmatics) gets absorbed. It is a safer and healthier way than combustion.” The products are vastly different to e-cigarettes, he stresses. “It is not the same as ‘vaping’ because there are no solvents involved.” On the other hand, the oils are administered orally, under the tongue to facilitate quicker absorption before swallowing. There are also capsules or tablets, though not commonly used. (If you were wondering, when the right dose is administered, patients don’t get high or stoned on these products.) You can’t simply walk into the shop and buy any of these products: a proper screening and a doctor’s prescription is required. All medical cannabis products dispensed via prescription are legal and regulated by the TGA, which, from 1 July 2023, requires those products to meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and
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the very stringent TGA standards (TGO-93) with regard to quality and pesticide levels, for instance. Again, the TGA website spells out more details, and Jit and his staff are happy to take enquiries. Jit has spoken at medical conferences on De-Stigmatising Cannabis, including one held at Bangalow’s A&I Hall earlier this year. “There is stigma, and mis-information around how to use these products. At the end of the day, the aim of medical cannabis treatment is that we want to bring balance back to the endo-cannabinoid system, to bring back homeostasis, or the balance of your internal hormonal systems.” Formerly a florist shop, Jit completely redesigned the shop to suit its new function. A spotted gum counter made by a Possum Creek woodworker is topped with unusual, solid pale green hempcrete. Jit is very happy with the teams he has operating both the pharmacy and the dispensary. “I’m blessed and fortunate to have them,” he says. For more information on Medicinal Cannabis for consumers refer to the TGA website tga.gov.au
“Because there’s so much stigma and myths surrounding cannabis, you need to be able to provide patients with education and the right information”.
ate Breakfast Puffs
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November 2023
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MEET THE MAKER
Where the rivers run Blake Rhodes and Mitch King in FLOW Photo Kate Holmes
Rivers are never far from the mind and physical body of Yaegl Bundjalung man, poet, composer, and sound artist Mitch King. As the writer and performer of the powerful First Nations story FLOW, presented by NORPA, river stories run feely through him when we catch up for a yarn late one Friday afternoon. Mitch recently moved to Bangalow for “relaxing and peaceful solitude”, a place where he can separate from work and have some quiet time as he explores the creativity and beauty that he’s discovering everywhere throughout the 2479 postcode.
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He says, “The mighty Clarence River, Biirrinba, is at the heart of FLOW”. But his First Nations story, which is told through dance, poetry, video projection, spoken word and music, can be interpreted more broadly to refer to waterways and the importance of water conservation everywhere, but especially in the Northern Rivers. So, it’s fitting that he quickly livens to those interconnections when we talk of Bangalow’s parklands where he has hung out with “deadly” Bundjalung woman Delta Kay, appreciating the native bush regeneration, Indigenous culture
and history about which Delta is now teaching people on that country. “It’s a beautiful spot,” Mitch says. He says the river is what Yaegl People always return to, “swimming, fishing, hanging out on the river and learning ancestor stories about its creation. FLOW is about me as an adult coming back and connecting with the river in my own way. When I see the river, I’m home.” Described as part music-concert, part-theatre, FLOW is being ambitiously staged for free at outdoor locations in Maclean and Lismore for
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him. I still do.” The show also references the legendary 400-year-old Strangler Fig Tree that’s part of Yaegl creation myth. The tree was cut down towards the end of its life because it was becoming too dangerous. According to Mitch, “The fig tree, which was cut down in 1986, is very significant. My Old people saw that tree being cut down. It was a very sad day.” Mitch only learned recently that the tree had been cut down in the year he was born. “I thought I saw this tree as a baby. Maybe I just dreamt I saw it. That tree had a big, beautiful spirit. It was tall and proud and uplifting. I’m still in awe of it, still proud of it,” he says.
three days in each place during November. It is NORPA’s gift back to the people of the Northern Rivers for their longstanding support. Audiences can bring picnic blankets and food to the alcohol-free event, which will also feature a pre-show guest performance by local musicians. FLOW was actually written and developed before the 2022 Northern Rivers floods. But its stories and meanings resonate profoundly with those later events, and it’s hard to resist a sense that the work was prophetic. According to Rhoda Roberts, Creative Director, First Nations at NORPA, “Mitch King retells the Creation Story of the Rivers. It is a stark warning of the nature of greed and how important water preservation is for a better tomorrow.” Rhoda says FLOW is a continuance of the First Nations oral storytelling “that has mapped our country and provided knowledge for eons.” Transporting us down the river from Bundjalung Country to Yaegl Country, FLOW was inspired by the first native title claim to be made on a body of water.
November 2023
Yaegl Elders and emerging leaders generously share their knowledge in FLOW. They include acclaimed artist Frances Belle Parker whose artwork features in the video and set design created by Mic Gruchy. Mitch explains, “NORPA wanted to put FLOW back into the program as a gift to the community, to acknowledge everything that’s gone on, to provide a sense of healing for everyone. We, as creatives, how do we acknowledge that?” He alludes to the life-giving importance of water but also its destructive potential. The wisdom of the Old People is another recurring theme in his conversation. FLOW is Mitch’s tale of his search to discover more about his story, his culture and the region’s history. “I sat down with my Elders from Yaegl Country, seeking to reconnect back to culture. It was a process of being questioned about my intent. I invited them to be part of the development of the work. Their answers and voices were so powerful. My Nan’s brother is in this piece, his beautiful face, his spirit. I always looked up to
Mitch was born at Lismore Base Hospital and moved to Maclean as a young child. “I was a country bush kid, into fishing, swimming and footy.” At school he was interested in telling stories, but he became overwhelmed with “structure and technique overload.” As he grew older, he started “rapping with my brother boys” finding ways to tell stories that were on his mind. Oppression, deaths in custody, walking in two worlds were some of the topics that interested him – “unresolved concepts, I’d just write and write whatever came to my mind.” Now he teaches young people to tell their stories, advising them to “write whatever you want, man, challenge what’s here in front of us.” Mitch is joined on stage for FLOW by sound artist Blake Rhodes, with direction by Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal. While admission to performances of FLOW is free, tickets are required. Book your free ticket through the NORPA website at norpa.org.au. Sonya Voumard
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LOCAL EVENTS
The beautiful A&I Hall was the setting for the inaugural Bangalow Boujee Bush Ball on Saturday 14 October. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Bangalow Community Children’s Centre, hay bales and cowboy hats combined with cocktail frocks and mirror balls for a fabulous and fun celebration. Over $10,000 was raised for the Children’s Centre, thanks to the generosity of local businesses who donated to the prize pool and auction.
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Boujee Bush Ball
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November 2023
19
ARTS AND ABOUT
Edible works of art Photo supplied
You are what you art Photo Bekky Beks
Eat your art at ‘Des Fleurs et des Fruits’
2023 c.a.s.e. Postcard Show
Bangalow Film Festival – save the date
The inaugural Affordable Summer Arts Sale ‘Des Fleurs et des Fruits’, will take place Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December at Coorabell Hall. Artists including Sharon Whittle, Kay Knights, Nina Packer, Belinda Black, Erika Mayer and Carole (Cas) Coffey have agreed to exhibit work to help kick off the Coorabell Hall Arts program holiday season. To add to the feast of art, Dee Tipping, the coordinator of the Coorabell Hall Visual Arts program, has popped an edible art element into the mix. If you would love to try your hand at creating an art-inspired decorative cake, we’d love to see it! All work submitted for exhibition must be able to withstand the December heat and will be offered for sale at the Affordable Art sale with proceeds to assist Coorabell Hall’s ongoing improvement plans. Makers may receive up to 50% of the final sale price, unless negotiated otherwise.
The 2023 c.a.s.e. Postcard Show launched on Tuesday 19 September with this year’s theme of ‘wonder’. The exhibition will be open over the weekend of 15-17 December 2023, showcasing at the Byron School of Art in Mullumbimby and offering the public the opportunity to buy beautiful postcard-sized art works at affordable prices. Over 450 entries were received last year, and entries from Northern Rivers artists of all ages are welcome in all media/mediums, including videos up to 20 seconds.
Film buffs and festival lovers, save the date for the return of the Bangalow Film Festival, 7-16 March 2024. A feast for the senses, the program offers immersive and dynamic audio-visual entertainment and more. Not just films, it’s a festival of ideas for young and old, music and art, returning to the Bangalow Showgrounds, A&I Hall and across town.
To express your interest in making edible sweet art for the event along the theme of ‘Des Fleurs et des Fruits’ contact Dee via coorabellhallarts@ gmail.com or text 0427169098.
bangalowfilmfestival.com.au
c.a.s.e. is a Northern Rivers, artist-led, notfor-profit dedicated to creating opportunities for local artists to present, develop, connect and collaborate and to enhance the wider community’s experience of diverse contemporary arts and culture. c.a.s.e is now in its 21st year of operation and offers regular ‘Art in the Club’ artists talks, mentoring grants and regular postcard shows. Entries close Saturday 18 November. caseartspace.com | Instagram @c.a.s.e.inc
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RECIPE
Roasted Strawberries and Yoghurt Cream Berries are plentiful and not too pricey at the moment. Here strawberries are made into a simple but delicious dessert. You can use any over-ripe strawberries or frozen ones that are slightly mushy. Roasting the berries brings out sweetness, making them sticky and soft.
Illustration Lyn Hand
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
• 900g Greek style unsweetened yoghurt
1. A dd 1/4 tsp salt and 70g icing sugar to the yoghurt. Transfer to a muslin lined bowl, then pull the sides together and tie the cloth with string. Weigh down the cloth with a bowl for a few minutes, then squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a container and refrigerate yoghurt cream.
• 140g icing sugar • 120ml double cream • 1 tsp grated lemon • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 600g ripe strawberries, hulled and cut in half • 1 1/2tsp sumac • 10g mint, half as leaves, the rest a fine shred • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped 30cm x 20cm ovenproof dish
Strawberries are not only delectable but also a nutritious choice. They provide a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds, some of which offer significant health advantages such as lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation. Strawberries are packed with antioxidants like anthocyanins and quercetin, which help protect the body from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Strawberries got their name from the Old English term “streawberige,” which is believed to refer to the tiny, straw-like runners or stems that are sent out over the ground by the plant. Over time, the name evolved into “strēawberige” in Middle English and eventually became “strawberry” as we know it today.
2. L ine a 30cm x 20cm ovenproof dish with baking paper. 3. T oss strawberries with the sumac, mint sprigs, vanilla pod and seeds, lemon juice, 70g icing sugar and 80ml water. 4. R oast the strawberries at 200°C for 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the berries are soft and bubbling. 5. C ool to room temperature, then remove mint and vanilla pod. Strain the syrup into a jug, reserving the strawberry pieces, and add 2-3 tbsps of syrup into the yoghurt cream. Gently fold and ripple through 6. S erve the berries over the yoghurt cream with extra syrup and shredded mint leaves. They are really good and so simple. (Adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi’s Simple) Lyn Hand
NORPA PRESENTS
Gather together for theatre under the stars. FREE community event!
16 & 17 Nov
23 – 25 Nov
YAEGL COUNTRY
WIDJABUL WIA-BUL COUNTRY
Maclean Showground
The Quad, Lismore
BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET
norpa.org.au November 2023
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SUSTAINABLE 2479
A dream to farm Moo to you Photo Kate Holmes
It’s a formidable undertaking to buy a 120-acre farm in a totally new location, and to set out to create an entirely new business venture. What’s needed is tenacity, endurance, and pluck! Christobel Munson investigates. In 2015, Jeanie Wylie and Edward Rawlings moved from Ipswich in Queensland to Nashua, to the west of Bangalow. “We wanted to give farming a go, in a way it could sustain our family for the long-term,” says Jeanie. “As
passionate foodies, our dream was to do something we both love.” Both had family connections to farming. Jeanie’s father started Inglewood Organics with his brother, while Edward grew up on an 80-acre cattle and horse farm and, before their move down south, had spent some time breeding rare breed pigs. (The first pig they bought was named Frida – but more of that later.) The Nashua farm they bought – with Edward’s parents, Andrew and Sandra - had belonged to the Trimble family for 100 years and, most recently, had been used by a neighbour for cattle grazing. Although Edward’s work background had initially been in the finance
industry, and Jeanie’s was in marketing and communications, back when they lived in London, both were keen to pursue the farming life. “We’re a good team,” Jeanie says. “I have some crazy ideas while Edward makes sure we think about viability.” For the first few years, the family took time to get to know the area and the property. Their third child arrived – Arthur, now aged seven, after Evie, who’s nine and 12-year-old Freddie – and while they settled in, they set up an Air BnB cabin on the property. “We always thought we’d do a restaurant, after the kids, and also saw an opportunity on the farming side, to grow food in a sustainable way, and
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Jeanie Wylie and Edward Rawlings of Frida’s Field Photo Christobel Munson
cut out the middle-man, keeping the margins in-house.” From their early days in Nashua, Edward developed an interest in breeding cattle. They now have a Wagyu beef bull and a herd of about 50 head of Angus heifers, who are managed over their 16 paddocks. “Our primary focus with the cattle is to use them as a tool for regenerating our land, so we keep the herd small and rotationally cell-graze, moving them every few days. This improves the organic matter in our soils and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere.” While Edward was primarily focused on the cattle, Jeanie was looking to find ways of earning a living from her quarter-acre market garden. There, she grows herbs and vegetables using organic gardening techniques such as composting, mulching, crop rotation, companion planting and making use of natural fertilisers teas. Many of their crops are grown from seed in their small greenhouse. Next, the couple set about creating a forest, growing timber – such as eucalyptus grandis, blue quandong and silky oak - and food and rainforest trees, such as cassava, citrus and bananas. “We’re using techniques that strive to create and mimic the natural processes of a forest by interplanting a diversity of food crops, forest trees, and bio-mass plants which mature at different times. By actively pruning and mulching the plants, we build
This unusually shaped north-facing shed generates 33kW power Photo Christobel Munson
carbon-sequestering humus and soil fertility at an exponential rate, reducing the need for external inputs and improving the soil’s ability to retain water.” The result? A highly productive food forest. To find out just how to set about these various endeavours, Jeanie participated in Southern Cross University’s practical Regenerative Agriculture Mentoring Program (RAMP).
in October, they hosted the annual Nashua Cricket Match on their farm. The popular community event was initially started in 1907 and was resurrected by local families in 2007. It has run every year since, utilising “the oldest concrete cricket pitch in NSW”. There’s a tug-of-war for the kids, and “anyone who likes cricket” comes along for the sausage sizzle or with a picnic to catch-up with local friends.
Finally, three years ago, the couple opened an on-farm restaurant “experience” called Frida’s Field, named after that first Ipswich pig. The restaurant – located in a purpose-built farmshed inspired wooden building - is open three days a week, with a set menu, catering for up to 80 people. The peaceful, easily accessible rural location is also in use as a wedding venue and event space.
On 4 November, they will be holding their now sold-out first Spring Gathering at the farm, with live music, teepee making and nature crafts. That day, about 500 trees will be planted along the creek with Richmond Landcare and North Coast Local Land Services - with help from attendees - as part of the Marine Estate Management Strategy to improve riparian vegetation in the region. Further tree planting is planned next year along Wilsons River, with Local Land Services again, and Big Scrub Regeneration.
Although the COVID years hit their business just as it had started, “things have now settled down and we can do some more forward planning,” Jeanie says. In busy summer months, the restaurant employs between 10 to 15 casual local staff, with three or four in the kitchen. Menus can use 30 to 50 percent of produce grown on the farm, otherwise their Scottish chef Alastair Waddell, sources ingredients direct from growers at the Byron farmers markets. And they do make use of some of the beef reared on site. Meanwhile, the couple has infiltrated many dimensions of the Nashua community. Late
From 11 November onwards, another new regular summer event will be happening. “If you missed out on the Spring Gathering, we’ll be starting Summer Sundowners every Saturday afternoon. From 3pm, people can pop in, watch the sun setting while enjoying casual snacks and drinks,” Jeanie added. She advises that bookings are encouraged, but spontaneous walk-ins are also welcome. fridasfield.com
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WINE
The myths of rosé For as long as I can remember, rosé in Australia has struggled for its identity, mainly due to the misconception that the darker the hue meant that the wine was sweeter. Now, that may have been the case in the 80s yet we’ve come a long, long way together with the hard times and the bad. It is time to celebrate rosé baby, yet first let’s bust a few myths! Rosé is not a variety, although it is made from fruit varieties that we see in red wine which we will dive into deeper soon. Rosé is in fact a style made from light skin contact of red grape varieties. The thicker the skins or longer skin contact then the richer the hue or colour profile. Off course there are sweeter rosé available yet that is normally as a result of the residual sugar. When it comes to rosé, the dance of flavours and aromas can be as diverse as the varietals they are crafted from. Natural Order Wines, Imaginarium Rosé and Tom Foolery, Trouble & Strife Rosé offer distinct and delightful experiences, each showcasing the unique qualities of the grape blends they are crafted from.
A rose by any other name Photo Chelsea Pridham
Starting with the Natural Order Wines’ Imaginarium Rosé, this blend of Grenache, Mataro, and Syrah is a fascinating exploration of complexity and fleshiness. The nose is a vibrant dance of succulent floral notes, seamlessly interwoven with the enticing aroma of honeydew melon and kiwi fruit. Upon tasting, the palate delivers an abundance of fleshy, peachy joy that tantalizes the senses. Imaginarium Rosé is a true embodiment of its name, taking you on a whimsical journey through a garden of flavours. It strikes a perfect balance between complexity and approachability, that has you captivated with its intricate layers, making it a delightful choice for those who appreciate depth and texture in their rose. Ideal with steamed fish, lemongrass pork, or vegetable linguine. In contrast, the Tom Foolery Trouble & Strife Rosé, crafted from Cabernet Franc, presents a different yet equally intriguing profile. The aroma is a burst of strawberries and pink candy, accompanied by a subtle touch of green spice. The inclusion of plum jelly and berry fruits adds a playful element that is well-balanced with dry herbaceous notes. This
rosé stands out for its unique style, confidently asserting itself with a perfect equilibrium of sweet, tangy, and savory elements. The abundance of flavours in the middle palate makes it a distinctive and memorable choice. Perfect match for chilli crab, spicy duck, or buffalo mushroom poppers! While both wines embrace the rosé category, they do so in their own distinctive ways. The Natural Order Wines Imaginarium Rosé charms with its floral and fruity complexity, offering a sophisticated experience. On the other hand, the Tom Foolery Trouble & Strife Rosé sets itself apart with its bold combination of strawberry sweetness, herbaceous undertones, and a remarkable balance of flavours that lingers on the palate. Ultimately, the choice between these two remarkable rosés comes down to personal preference, whether one seeks the intricate fleshy layers of Imaginarium or the bold and balanced character of Trouble & Strife, your taste buds are in for a treat. Enjoy with your fave peeps! Dave Cribbin
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BOOK REVIEW
LIVING LOCAL
The legacy of Mary Gardner
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Elizabeth Zott is the child of Christian charlatans and after her father is imprisoned, for the death of some of his followers, her mother heads to Brazil for tax evasion purposes leaving the young, intelligent Elizabeth to make her own way in life. She wants to be a scientist, but in 1960s America, this seems an impossible dream. Calvin Evans is a fellow scientist working at the Hastings Research Institute and when Elizabeth absconds with some of the surplus beakers sitting idle in his lab her fellow workmates are filthy because, they believe, she has put them in danger of Calvin’s legendary “grudge” holding. Calvin has his own barmy childhood story and has difficulty connecting with fellow humans. However, he is internationally famous for his multiple nominations for Nobel prizes thus making him very important to the Hastings Institute for future funding. At their second unplanned meeting, the first being the illicit removal of the lab beakers, Calvin accidently vomits on Elizabeth on his way to the cinema bathrooms and this is how their romance begins. The book begins in 1961 and Elizabeth is raising their precocious daughter with the help of her next-door neighbour (one of many great characters). She’s a single mother and juggling the pressures of motherhood and working for a TV network as a cooking show host for a programme called “Supper at Six” – a job she has taken out of a desperate need to pay the bills. Despite Elizabeth’s inability to follow any of the producer’s instructions, the show has become a national sensation. Each afternoon at 4pm housewives all over tune in for Elizabeth’s dinner menu which she demonstrates using her practical approach and providing scientific explanations of the cooking process that is taking place. In so doing she is actively enabling all the disenfranchised housewives of America, daring them to change and to follow their dreams. This is a laugh-out-loud funny book as well as being a serious commentary on the 1960s attitudes towards women in general, women in the workforce and God-forbid a woman who thinks she is a scientist and wants to be taken seriously. And, if you’re lucky enough to have Apple TV, the series commenced in October. Good Reads rating 4.3 stars - Published by Penguin Books Carolyn Adams
Lithuanian-born, Cleveland, Ohio-raised, Mary Gardner landed on the shores of Byron Bay in 2007, with two degrees in natural science under her belt. In the confluence of waters where the forest meets the sea, she immersed herself in a deep sense of place and wonder. Her fascination for local knowledge and water cycles led to a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science, and a long running popular column, The Tangles of Life published in The Echo for over a decade. Mary’s writing documented her observational walking and snorkelling adventures among the Shire’s creatures, plants, waterways and towns. Mary passed away earlier this year, and The Echo gave permission
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November 2023
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LIVING LOCAL
The following extract is published with permission of JRJ Book Group and originally appeared in The Echo. Ah yes, November. Summer is coming. I remember there’s daylight saving and time my walking so I reach the front of the supermarket as dusk begins. Between the footpath and the parking spaces, there are some Philodendron selloum. Camera at the ready, I am stalking them. Oh I know philodendrons are common enough plants. Although they originate in the Central and South American tropics, they have travelled the world with European sailors since the 1600s. They are easy to grow, indoors and out. They do have roots of their own but when they can climb another tree and be supported, they will. They are epiphytes. Philo is Greek for ‘fond of, love of’. Dendro is ‘tree’. Recently I learned something so amazing I could hardly believe it. Now I am as 21st century as anyone else with my technology and my shopping. I like to think that after being here in Byron for a year, I am getting a bit integrated socially. I like music and I like red wine. I am getting to know Australian politics.
for for her nature essays to be republished in book form. Editors Jeni Caffin, Rosy Whelan and Jo Immig have curated the book, entitled Plant a Tree Grow a Fish which ‘heralds a new style of nature writing, unapologetically fashioning poetry, science, history and Mary’s marine biologist perspectives into a shimmering mosaic.’ It is both a love story and a call to action from a marine ecologist’s perspective, relevant to anyone whose imagination and curiosity are piqued by Byron Bay’s treasury of coastal and hinterland riches. The book is available for sale at Bangalow’s Bookworms and Paper Mites and book shops in Byron, Mullumbimby and Lennox Head. RRP $39.95
In spite of this, what am I doing? Hooked by this bit of news, I am now like any intrepid jungle explorer. I am off the beaten path, lurking under large leaves, up to my ankles in blown paper, rubbish and big ants. At the heart of each of these plants are three or four large, green buds each as big and tough as a large green banana. There! Focus the camera. One of them is … “Hey! You some sort of perv in the bushes there, or what?” I look up, startled. There are two young men, beer bottles in hand, jeering at me. Uh oh, I guess I’m not as hip as all that. It’s high school all over again. I’m still the nerd, the weirdo. Fair game for every amusing heckling spree that takes the fancy of those cool, tough guys and gals. They’re schoolies, aren’t they? I’ve heard about them. Young adults who come from
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“You’re a weirdo, aren’t you?” After all these years, far from enrolment in any school, this can’t be happening to me. No, it won’t. “Actually, nothing to do with me,” I say. “It’s this plant, actually. I mean you won’t believe this.” “Yeah, right.” I gesture to them, “Come here.” Don’t know why they do but they walk over, snickering. “Hold this here,” I say, pointing out the subject of my photo shoot. “Naw, look at it! It looks like a diddle!” The other young man reaches out and wraps his hand around the large white centre of the flower in bloom. “Oh you’re a perv, Greg, a real perv.” “Shit, Jim, it’s hot. Wow. Look! It’s really cool.” I start talking. “The thick white centre stalk. It’s called a spadix. It has three types of florets. The female ones are at the top. The infertile male ones are in the middle and fertile male ones at the base. Yes, it’s hot: 38 to 46 degrees centigrade. It’s one of the very few plants in the entire world that heats up.” Why? Well there’s aromatherapy: the warmth burns off an attractive scent. Beetles go wild. The whole bud itself becomes a cosy-up for these creatures who like a honeymoon suite in a hot, romantic setting. The different florets will open at different stages of the 24 hours of blooming. Finally, the male ones at the bottom open and dust the visiting beetles with pollen. The insects will take this to a new flower. For a moment, Greg and Jim, like me, are all caught up, as are the beetles, by the extravagance of the Philodendron flower. There’s something in our human imagination that responds with interest to these exquisite, mundane details. But only if we notice.
festive fun at Heritage House have your end of year function with us - space hire $30/hour open 10am - 2pm, Wednesday - Saturday BANGALOW
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afar to bask in the early summer heat, to soak up sun and alcohol in some bizarre ritual outing away from home. They seek release after the last of their exams.
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The Bangalow Herald
GARDENING
Schotia brachypetala – The Drunken Parrot Tree If you, like us, have any of these wonderful trees near you, you may find yourself almost deafened by very noisy birds at this time of year. Eastern Rosellas, Lorikeets, Noisy Friar Birds and almost every other nectar-feeding bird (and bees) are feasting on the flowers, and the good/bad news is that these clever trees have individual flowering times, so the feeding frenzy can last for months! Great for the critters to have extended feeding seasons, but it IS noisy. Schotias are also called Weeping Boer-beans and originate in several areas of Africa, including Zimbabwe and at middle altitudes south of the Zambesi region. They are legumes of the Fabacea family, and the ‘weeping’ part of their common name doesn’t refer to their habit/shape, but the fact that the nectar produced in the masses of scarlet flowers is so copious that it actually drips. They make lovely street trees as they usually grow to between five and ten metres; they have a shady canopy, attractive foliage, and a beautifully patterned smooth bark. Their only downside: don’t plant near paving or decks as they drop vast amounts of spent flowers (and sticky nectar) and as they are semi-deciduous, also masses of leaves. When the flowers fade, they are replaced by long, tough, woody bean pods full of seeds. I have found them to be quite difficult to propagate. Cuttings taken in winter are easier.
What shall we do with a Drunken Parrot? Photos Carole Gamble
They can tolerate various soil conditions and drought, but growth will be slowed. The best conditions are those that we used to take for granted in Northern Rivers: summer warmth and rain, and cool winters. The flowers cover the tree and are really beautiful. The name brachypetalum means ‘short flowers’. They are unique, with petals completely or partly reduced to linear filaments. They have brightly coloured calyces (sepals), stamens and pedicles (flower stalks) and against the light green of the new foliage, are very striking.
many specimens back to enhance the parklike garden. They were spectacular and a real curiosity. The timber is termite resistant and became an important cabinet timber, and the bark is said to have many medicinal applications. The Canberra Arboretum has a large planting, and the grove is quite established after less than 20 years, so it demonstrates just how adaptable this tree is in different conditions, including frosts and occasional snow. I would love to see them used more widely as street trees, but they are not great to park your car underneath! Carole Gamble
Schotia are named after Richard van der Schot (1730-1819), the head gardener of a notable Viennese estate. He visited Africa and brought
our
corner store A collection of timeless, well made goods that are both beautiful and part of daily life.
1/36 Byron St, Bangalow Phone: 02 6687 1881 ourcornerstore.com.au ourcornerstoreone@gmail.com November 2023
27
COUNCIL MATTERS
905 proposed new dwellings for Bangalow
Raftons Road path design
Council is seeking community input on its new Housing Options Paper – a significant document for Bangalow and the whole of Byron Shire. The outcomes from the community consultation will inform a refresh of the existing Residential Strategy.
The Raftons Road Have Your Say process’s community feedback was strong and mixed. Council approved the following motion at its meeting on 28 September 2023:
The Housing Options Paper aims to respond to a combination of housing stresses: lack of affordable housing, lack of availability of affordable rental housing, lack of affordable housing for key workers, lack of mediumdensity housing options, and a growing rate of homelessness. Targets from the NSW Government require Council to plan for an additional 4,522 dwellings across the Shire by 2036. The Options Paper predicts that Bangalow will carry 13.5% of the 6,695 new dwellings that Council proposes. In real terms, this document proposes 905 new dwellings for Bangalow over the next 20 years – a bit more than double the number of dwellings currently in the village footprint. You will find information, maps, the document itself and the link to the Feedback Form at byron.nsw.gov.au/Your-Say-Byron-Shire/ Have-your-say-on-future-housing-options-inByron-Shire Feedback closes on 6 November 2023.
Rifle Range Road Intersection As everyone is well aware, there has been a protracted delay in work at the intersection. Transport for NSW has been reviewing and changing technical aspects of the plans for months. Council are very keen to get started but has no choice but to wait for the final approval of the plans by T4NSW. Meanwhile, Council engineers have met with local residents to discuss the new bus shelter site and design and the location of the path that will link pedestrians from Rifle Range Road to the new bus shelter. Local residents have also alerted Council engineers to the need to rationalise this design with any new designs for the shared path along the rail corridor.
1. E ndorses a scope change for the Raftons Road project from a 2.5m shared path to a pedestrian path of 1.2m -1.5m in width, which includes retaining the grass verge; and
Map 2: Housing Options Paper
Bangalow Housing Opportunities
NOTE: The information provided on this map is for consultation purposes. The information is indicative only and should not be used as a basis for investment or other private decision making purposes about land purchase or land use.
Legend **MAPPED SITES ARE INDICATIVE ONLY** Important Farmland (North Coast Regional Plan)
Retained Investigation Areas
Vacant / Undeveloped Residential Zoned Land
Area 11
Approved for Residential
Draft Northern Rivers Resilient Lands Strategy - Identified Site (short term delivery)
Draft Northern Rivers Resilient Lands Strategy - Identified Site (medium term delivery) Area 13 Area 12
2. C reates an on-road bicycle awareness zone including options for traffic calming. The question of why Council added a path/kerb and gutters to Leslie Street West without consultation remains a mystery, but Council engineers are redesigning the whole project, which will come back to the community for another round of Have Your Say. Hopefully, this next design will respond to the community feedback.
Disclaimer : While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the information contained on this map is up to date and accurate, no warranty is given that the information contained on this map is free from error or omission. Any reliance placed on such information shall be at the sole risk of the user. Please verify the accuracy of the information prior to using it. Note : The information shown on this map is a copyright of the Byron Shire Council and the NSW Department of Lands.
0
500
O
1,000 Metres
Date: 28/08/2023
Proposed growth sites for Bangalow (Housing Options Paper, Byron Shire Council)
Place Planning Collective changes After three and half years representing Bangalow on Council’s Place Planning Collective, I have resigned due to new work and family commitments. Bangalow remains in the safe hands of the remaining two representatives – Lauren Julian and Jo Millar. Council will be recruiting a new Bangalow representative later this year. Over the course of the last three and half years, we have made great inroads into implementing the Bangalow Village Plan. I would like to thank those community members who have supported and collaborated with us in our mutual endeavours to improve Bangalow. We have set priorities together, assisted Council in winning grants and argued our case for big projects like the rail corridor path. It’s worth reminding the community that we have very little control or input into infrastructure projects once they move into the design/ implement phases, so please be considerate of our PPC reps. It has been a great privilege to advocate on behalf of Bangalow. Jenny Bird
Phone 6687 2960 • Offices in BANGALOW and BYRON BAY theofficeaccountants.com.au • info@theofficeaccountants.com.au
For All Your Legal & Conveyancing Needs Technical Expertise. Local Knowledge. Innovative Solutions. Excellent Results.
16 Byron Street, Bangalow NSW 2479 02 6687 0660 www.cmjlegal.com.au 28
Contact Greg Clark
Phone 6687 2960 The Bangalow Herald
LOCAL NEWS bar with coffee martinis and other concoctions in high demand. “The hall has a liquor licence so it was a bit of a no-brainer”, says Scarlet. “I’d love to do it again, in collaboration with future events at the hall, especially now that we have the deck almost finished.” The Cosmos Coffee Cart, Coorabell Hall, 565 Coolamon Scenic Drive, Coorabell Open between 7am and 1am Monday to Friday. For more information about events at Coorabell Hall go to coorabellhall.net Lyn McCarthy
Christmas is coming Uniting Church gears up for Christmas
Scarlet Perkins and the Cosmos Coffee Cart Photo Lyn McCarthy
Cosmos Coffee Cart These days, Coorabell Hall is a hive of activity. After months of fundraising, a brand new deck is being constructed that will take in the northern view towards Byron Bay. A perfect place to kick back with a coffee or a cocktail. Local Scarlet Perkins saw the opportunity and has set up her coffee cart ‘Cosmos’ adjacent to the deck. Scarlet worked as a barista in Melbourne and when she returned to the Northern Rivers she was, as she puts it, going through a ‘quarter life crisis’. The 27-year-old learned that a previous coffee cart at the Hall was closing down: “I thought if I give it a go and put in some hard work and consistency, I could build it up. It’s such a good location.” ‘Cosmos’ is named after Scarlet’s favourite flower and it has proven to be a winner with locals, mums doing the school drop off, tradies and passing traffic all stopping for their favourite beverage. Karen, one of the Cosmos regulars, thinks that Scarlet’s coffee and chai are the best in the area and her dogs Heidi and Molly love the ‘pup-cups’ – “it’s mostly water with a dash of milk and I foam it up, not too hot, sprinkle it with turmeric and cinnamon, and I put in a cup for them to lick. They love it,” says Scarlett. At a recent fundraising event hosted by Tex Perkins, (who just happens to be Scarlet’s Dad), the Cosmos cart transformed itself into a cocktail
vitality
Dr Megan Kearney BVSc MVS(Cons Med) VetMFHom DipHerbMed MNHAA Holistic Referral Clinic Acupuncture • Herbal Medicine • Homeopathy • Nutrition •
November 2023
Tuesday 5 December at 3.15pm at Bangalow Uniting Church is our Children’s Christmas Crafternoon with games, story, afternoon tea and craft activities for Christmas. Parents’ permission is needed, and parents can stay with their children or come back to collect at 5pm. Email phild@ nswact.uca.org.au if you need more details, or just come along. Now’s the time to start thinking about your entry for the Christmas Tree Festival. All community groups and organisations are welcome to make and decorate a Christmas tree that will be displayed in the Uniting Church. There is no cost to participate in this lovely festive tradition, and more information is available by emailing corinnen@nswact.uca.org.au Corinne Nash
Christmas Eve Carnival – save the date It’s back! The legendary Bangalow Christmas Eve Carnival at the Bangalow Showground. Add it to your family calendar. There’s an early start for Children’s Entertainment from 4pm, followed by Santa Claus arriving by firetruck with iceblocks and lollies at 6pm. The Lions Club Bar and BBQ will be operating along with a variety of food vans catering for all tastes, including vegan and those with a sweet tooth. The fireworks are set to light up the sky from 7.45pm and the evening wraps up by 8pm. See you there for a Merry Xmas. All enquiries to Nashy 0418 440545 or alfred.lodge@bigpond.com Bangalow Lions
vetcare
holistic compassionate veterinary care
•
The annual Fair Trade Fair will be held in the grounds of the Uniting Church on Saturday 2 December from 8am-1pm. A wide variety of ethical and sustainable gifts, homewares, Christmas decorations and more for sale supporting Fair Trade artisans are available. Rev Phil is on the best Fairtrade coffee around; there will also be food to purchase. The following afternoon is our Family Gathering at Bangalow Uniting Church. Everyone is welcome for all ages worship, craft, music, and dinner included for the start of Advent, Sunday 3 December from 5pm.
02 6687 0675
Tues - Thurs 10am - 6pm 4a Ballina Road, Bangalow vitalityvetcare.com.au
Enjoy a warm welcome and good old fashioned service at Déjà Vu Bangalow. Offering a wonderful selection of beautiful ladies apparel & unique accessories, fabulous silks & French linen.
9 Byron St, Bangalow. Ph: (02) 6687 2622. 29
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Psychology to live by “The pandemic has accentuated serious mental health issues, not only in Australia but worldwide,” says local psychologist Dr Chris Stevens. “It is estimated that about one-third of our teenagers have been suffering from mental health issues in the last three to four years. That’s really up from about one-in-five. But it’s not confined to teenagers, so there is a great interest in psychology at present.” There are long waiting lists for people to see psychologists, however, many can’t afford to see a psychologist or for some other reason can’t access help. In September, Chris launched his new podcast, Psychology to Live By, to help people live a little better. “It’s not grandiose,” says Chris, “the idea is a plain English translation of contemporary psychology that can be practically applied.” The podcast has been a long time in gestation, but Chris has been busy recording for the past 18 months and establishing a social media presence in conjunction with the podcast. Chris is a well-known local resident of Bangalow of 11 years. He conducts his practice from his home, which has a broadcast studio, and a garden that is the envy of his neighbours. He has been a practicing psychologist for over 30 years, working academically, in clinical practice and, since 2004, working as a consultant to a wide range of national and international organisations. From 2014 to 2018, Chris and another psychologist built a mental health and wellbeing consultancy dealing with mental health in the workplace. Since selling the business he has been developing his current project, Psychology To Live By, and the podcast is a part of that. Concurrently he’s still consulting and coaching, mostly to top tier law firms and other organisations. Each podcast last up to 10 minutes but for those who want to dig deeper, there are Q and A formats after each episode. Topics covered range widely: “Mental health and wellbeing, relationships, mindfulness, and stuff around work and productivity and how the mind works, like biases and how to think clearly,” says Chris. He adds that his podcast “is not a substitute for clinical support but it might be a preventative, proactive thing that people can do to take a few ideas and put them into practice and help people live a little better.”
Women’s Health at Bangalow Medical Centre Dr Lydia Hubbard is back from maternity leave. She is continuing to offer Intrauterine device (IUD) insertions at Bangalow Medical Centre. In other women’s health news all cervical screening participants now have the choice to self-collect their own Cervical Screening Test samples. A self-collected sample is taken from the vagina and is checked for human papillomavirus (HPV) – a common infection that causes almost all cervical cancers. We still offer Pap Smears conducted by our Doctors. Is your mammogram and cervical screening up to date? Check with your GP on your next visit. Sharon Rudgley, Practice Manager
Chris’s podcast, social media and website can be found at linktr.ee/ drchrisstevensoz or on his website drchris.life Murray Hand
HERALD The Bangalow
Over 35 years in real estate sales. For professionalism, knowledge & results. duncan@lorimerestateagents.com.au 0400 844 412 www.lorimerestateagents.com.au
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The Bangalow Herald connects your business with our community. To find out about advertising options contact Pippa Vickery on 0409 606 555 or email advertising@bangalowherald.com.au The Bangalow Herald
Olive Wood Vegan
Plant-Based Cooking School & BnB in Alstonvale Join Le Cordon Bleu London-trained chef and author Katie White for a cooking class (either seasonal plant-based or traditional fresh pasta and ravioli) or spend a weekend in her down-to-earth luxury BnB where you can choose from delicious add-ons. @by_katie_white www.olivewoodvegan.com 0427037111
Beautiful new clinic in Newrybar Village
Bangalow Health and Wellbeing womens health and wellbeing 88 Byron Street, Bangalow 6687 2337 bangalowhealthandwellbeing.com.au Practitioners:
We are committed to the highest standard of care in all of our treatments. Remedial / Deep Tissue / Lymphatic Drainage / Sports / Relaxation / Pregnancy / Trigger Point / Dry Needling / Cupping / Bowen. Instant health fund rebates available.
Book online now! Visit bbrmassage.com.au or call 0499 490 088
Dr Jane Reffell ........Women’s Health Doctor Lisa Fitzpatrick .......Pelvic Floor and Continence Physiotherapist Dr Victoria Maud....Clinical Psychologist Melanie Manton.....Clinical Psychologist
Reception Hours:
Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 4pm
BANGALOW MEDICAL CENTRE
1A Ballina Road, Bangalow 6687 1079 • www.bangalowmedicalcentre.com November 2023
STUDIO
Dr Chris Bentley Dr Lydia Hubbard Dr Sasha Morris Dr Jemma Buultjens Dr Alistair Mitchell Dr Eloise Julier
AWARD-WINNING FUSION
BANGALOW
Dr Graham Truswell Dr Cam Hollows Dr Jan Maehl Dr Clinton Scott Dr Callie Irving Dr Emily Dunn
YOGA • PILATES • YOGALATES
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Thurs Sat
Slow Flow Hatha Yogalates Hatha Yoga Yogalates Yin Restore Yoga Yogalates
5.30 to 6.45pm 9.30 to 11.00am 6.00 to 7.00pm 9.30 to 11.00am 5.30 to 6.30pm 8.15 to 9.30am
For Suffolk Park class times and our Online Studio visit:
yogalatesacademy.com 31
TRADES AND SERVICES DIRECTORY
Free Quotes Luke Jarrett – 0431 329 630 • Tippers, Excavators, Positracks • All aspects of Earthmoving • House and Shed sites • Roads, Driveways, Carparks • Dams and Property clearing • Rock walls and Landscaping
Tree Services Tallow Tree Services
0401 208 797
Garden and Landscaping Follow us on
Kennards Hire Byron Bay specialises in a wide range of rental equipment and tool hire to make any job easy. 4 Centennial Cct, Byron Bay 6639 8600 | www.kennards.com.au byronbay@kennards.com.au
Joe Harris 0405 411 466 blueedge.joe@gmail.com
Coastal Cleaning and Gardens
0487 816 023
Slash Me Silly
0429 994 189
Gary Daniels Lawn Mowing, no job too small!
0478 226 376
Building Services Trueline Patios and Extensions
6687 2393
Bathroom Renovations – Fully professional
0401 788 420
Concept Carpentry – Big jobs and small
0401 788 420
The Bio Cleaning Co Restoration Cleaning
0414 480 558
Window Tinting, cars & homes John Crabtree, Bangalow 0410 634610
Handyman and Odd Jobs
Cleaning | Maintenance | Chemicals | Pumps & Filters | Chlorinators
• Your local home & business Electricians • 5 Star service that you can rely on pricing 1:29 & lifetime warranty Anthony BC_Anthony BC• Upfront 28/05/19 PM Page 2 • Call 0438 535 149 or email robert@parallelpower.co • See what our customers say www.parallelpower.co
Absolute Handyman All repairs & renovations, large & small
0402 281 638
Rubbish Removals – Mark
0411 113 300
Plumber Matt Wilson Plumber
0408 665 672
Simpson Plumbing
0416 527 410
Anthony BC_Anthony BC 28/05/19 1:29 PM Page 2
Electrical Electric Boogaloo
0417 415 474
North Stream Electric | northstreamelectric@gmail.com
0427 393 044
Signs and Printing
02 6687 2453 www.digiprintpro.com.au
Digi Print Pro Bangalow Sign Co.
Call Don on: 6687 1171 Monday to Friday 7.00am to 6.00pm
6687 2453 0423 685 902
Earth Moving and Excavations Jarrett Excavations
0431 329 630
Pump Repairs Bangalow Pumps and Irrigation
0428 871 551
Solar Installation
TYRE & MECHANICAL Servicing, Mechanical Repairs, Rego Checks, Brakes & Tyres. 6687 1022 – Michael John Burke Lic No: MVRL53686
Solartek Juno Energy
6688 4480 0425 256 802
Swimming Pools Tranquil Pools
0418 278 397
Computer Services
PAINTING AND DECORATING • All aspects of conventional Internal and external painting • Repainting and restoration • Specialist finishes • Paperhanging • Roof restoration • Plaster repairs
CALL MICHAEL CHANCE: 0418 603 862
888
The Best Technology in Solar Power, Batteries & Solar Hot Water Call Vincent Selleck for a Free Consultation Lic.No. 334826C
Ph 02 6688 4480
www.888solartek.com.au
My Geek Mate Tech Support
Veterinary Care Bangalow Vets
5555 6990
Vitality Vetcare
6687 0675
Architectural Drafting Michael Spiteri Drafting
0417 713 033
Equipment Hire Kennards Hire
6639 8600
Ikea Delivery and Installation Big Swedish Store Run
32
0431 122 057
0401 880 170
The Bangalow Herald
WHAT’S THAT NUMBER?
TRADES AND SERVICES DIRECTORY
Community AA (6pm Tues)
Karen Mc
0403 735 678
ADFAS
Dianne
0412 370 372
Al-Anon (2pm Fri)
1300 252 666
Bangalow Koalas
Linda
0411 491 991
Bridge
Dennis
6687 1574
Community Children’s Centre
Kerry
6687 1552
Co-dependents Anonymous
Gye
0421 583 321
CWA (Wed)
Lorraine
0417 705 439
Garden Club (1st Wed)
Diana
0418 288 428
George the snake man
George
0407 965 092
Historical Society/Museum
Trisha
0429 882 525
Kindred Women Together
Janice
0401 026 359
Koala rescue line (24 hr)
6622 1233
Land & Rivercare (8.30am Sat)
Noelene
0431 200 638
Lions Club (6pm 2nd/4th Tues)
Nashy
0418 440 545
Men’s Shed
John
0427 130 177
250
Op Shop (M-F 10am-2pm, Sat 9.30am-12.30pm)
6687 2228
200
Lynn
0429 644 659
150
Park Trust Committee
Shane
0475 732 551
100
Police – DCI Matt Kehoe
Fax: 6629 7501
6629 7500
50
Pool Trust
Jo
6687 1297
Progress Association
Ian
0414 959 936
Poultry Club
Hector
6687 1322
Quilters (2nd/4th Thur)
Karen
0413 621 224
Red Cross (1st Fri)
Liz
0409 832 001
Show Society
Anne
6687 1033
Bowls men (1pm Wed & Sat)
Gerry
6687 1142
Bowls women (9.30am Wed)
Frances
6687 1339
Cricket
Anthony
0429 306 529
Karate self-defence
Jean
0458 245 123
Netball (3.30pm Wed)
Ellie
0429 855 399
Pony Club
Rebecca
0410 706 959
Rugby Union (Rebels)
Dave
0412 080 614
Soccer (Bluedogs)
0434 559 700
Tennis court hire
Bernie
0433 970 800
Brian
0427 157 565
Average rainfall (mm)
Bangalow Rainfall
300
Parklands
Sport
Actual rainfall (mm)
350
0 Sep'22 Oct
Nov Dec
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep'23
GRAPHIC DESIGN PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
geebeedesign
Venues A&I Hall
All Souls’ Anglican Hall Bowling Club
Chris
Coorabell Hall
6684 3552 6687 2741 coorabellhall@gmail.com
Heritage House
Trisha
0429 882 525
Lions Club Kiosk
Nashy
0418 440 545
Moller Pavilion
6687 1035
Newrybar Hall
Kerry
0414 560 119
RSL Hall
Charlotte
0418 107 448
Scout Hall
Shane
0475 732 551
St Kevin’s Catholic Hall
Russell
0423 089 684
November 2023
Boot Toss Competition at the Bangalow Show Photo Maralyn Hannigan 33
WHAT’S ON
There’s plenty to keep you entertained in 2479 and beyond this month.
Connecting Generations Spring Event
Pearces Creek Talks in Conversation with Sophie Matterson: Adventurer, Writer, Photographer
Contact ruth@reclaimingjoy.com
When Thursday 9 November, 6-8pm Where
earces Creek Hall, Pearces Creek P Hall Road, NSW 2477
Info
linktr.ee/pearcescreektalks
Tickets $25 adult, $15 child, includes a supper plate
Join the CWA!
Sophie Matterson is an adventurer and author of the book The Crossing. In 2020 and 2021 Sophie solo trekked 4,750 kilometres across the width of Australia, from Shark Bay, Western Australia to Byron Bay, New South Wales, with her five camels. Sophie became the first woman with a herd of camels to complete such a journey on foot, and in 2022 was granted the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure Award. One of the many places that Sophie passed through on her journey was Pearces Creek, staying at Deb and Bruce’s place on Houghlahans Creek Road, a stone’s throw from Pearces Creek Hall. We have invited Sophie and Jimmy back to Pearces Creek to share their story. More @pearcescreektalks
Twilight Market at Heritage House When
Saturday 11 November, 3-7pm
Where Heritage House
When
Sunday 12 November 2.30pm - 5pm
Where
Bangalow Bowlo
Come along to the Connecting Generations spring event, which aims to link young families with older members of the community with a range of interactive activities. There will be free face painting, live music and nature-inspired arts and crafts with games like tunnel ball, a dress up relay and a bush dance. Children can also get to know their new older friends with a Q&A asking questions about their lives.
Friends of Libraries author talk with Suzanne Leal When
Thursday 16 November, 6pm
Where Lone Goat Gallery, Byron Library, 28 Lawson St, Byron Bay Tickets $ 15 FOL members and $20 non-members. Suzanne Leal, lawyer and Sydney based writer has released her new book The Watchful Wife, which was chosen as Allen and Unwin’s lead title for July 2023. The Watchful Wife is a story of a young woman raised by severe parents in an authoritarian church, finds herself unprepared for life in the modern world. Light refreshments included. Tickets are limited and can be booked via byronbayfol.com or byronbayfol@gmail.com
Bangalow Show When Friday 17 and Saturday 18 November
More than Tea and Scones
Contact 0473 016 029 or email bangalowmuseum2479@gmail.com
Where
Bangalow Showgrounds
Info
bangalowshow.com.au
Enquiries: cwasecbangalow@gmail.com
The perfect time to find some Christmas gifts (and the last day of the popular exhibition of Bridal gowns), inside Heritage House there will be art and craft work on show and to buy, and in the gardens, a range of market stalls. Enticing food and entertainment are planned. For Bangalow locals to book a stall (only $15), contact Trisha Bleakley 0429 882 525. To contribute to the art and craft work, call Jenny Holden 0497 012 973.
Tickets A dult Membership $20, Youth (12-17) & Pensioner $10
Bangalow Branch women’s lobby group
0411 757 425 tim@millerrealestate.com.au millerrealestate.com.au
An exhibition by Penelope McManus ‘Songs of the Land’ When
11 November to 9 December 2023
Where
one Goat Gallery, L 28 Lawson St, Byron Bay
Info
lonegoatgallery.com
First established in 1897, the Bangalow A & I Society has prided itself on bringing to the community an opportunity to showcase local agricultural pursuits at the Bangalow Show. For two days in November each year the showground resonates with the sounds of cattle, horses, and sideshow alley. The pavilions are filled with produce, poultry and everything you could make or bake. Come along and join us, fun for all the family. Membership forms available on the website, and covers two days entry, or non-members can pay at the gate | Adult $15 per day, Youth (High School)/Pensioner $7, Under 12 (Primary & Under) free.
Local Bangalow artist Penelope McManus captures a sense of mystery and wonder in her painted depictions of local wetlands, creeks, rivers and oceans of around Byron Bay (on the Bundjalung Nation). Her exhibition opens 5.30– 7.30pm Friday 10 November and continues until 9 December. Entry is free and the Gallery is open Wed to Sat, 10am-4pm. 34
The Bangalow Herald
Sophie Matterson and her five camels trekking across Australia Photo supplied
FLOW When 16-17 November, Maclean Showground 23-25 November, The Quad, Lismore Tickets F ree – reserve yours here norpa.org.au/events/flow-2023 Told through dance, poetry, video projection and rap, Flow is a yarn about Yaegl country and its neighbouring nations. Inspired by the first native title claim on a body of water, it’s the tale of a man’s search to discover more about his story, and our region’s shared history. Yaegl Bundjalung man Mitch King is joined on stage by sound artist Blake Rhodes, directed by Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal. All welcome at this free outdoor event. BYO picnic rug, and please note this is an alcohol-free event.
A night at Studio 54 When Saturday 18 November, 6pm-midnight Where
Coorabell Hall
Tickets $ 40 via events.humanitix.com/ studio-54-party-coorabell-hall
Bangalow Tap Divas concert When Saturday 25 November 2023, 10am Where Bangalow Anglican Church Hall (Ashton Street, Bangalow) Tickets $10 cash at the door (including morning tea) The Bangalow Tap Divas invite you to this year’s annual concert and morning tea. The Divas have been tapping together through rain, hail, stitches, sprains, public holidays, divorces, deaths, and sun, for two hours every Monday and Thursday at the RSL Hall in Station Street. Ages range from 33 to 84, and they are always happy to welcome new Divas to the troupe, or a spectator if you happen to pass by during class.
CWA Cake and Produce Stall When Saturday 25 November, 8am - 12 midday Where
CWA rooms, 31 Byron St, Bangalow
Contact cwasecbangalow@gmail.com
Come along to a night filled with the glitter, pizazz and glamour that was iconic New York nightclub Studio 54 right here in the hills of Coorabell. DJs Miss Renee Simone, DJ Pob and Wax Addicts have got you covered on the dancefloor, and there are food trucks, cocktails and bar available. Come for a boogie, enjoy the brand new deck and grab a bite to eat or a drink. All money raised will continue improvements to Coorabell Hall for everyone’s future enjoyment.
The festive season is coming so don’t miss this chance to stock up on edible treats and preserved gifts for family and loved ones at the monthly CWA stall. Jams, cakes, plants, crafts and more to enjoy.
ADFAS Northern Rivers
Chill out at your community Hall on Friday evenings. Yummy curries to eat in or take away. Fully licenced bar at prices you can afford. Play checkers, chess, Scrabble, mini pool or perhaps table tennis! Curries served between 3 and 7pm. Don’t miss out –these Punjabi curries are delish!
When Monday 20 November, 6pm for 6.15pm, following the AGM at 5.30pm Where A & I Hall, Station Street, Bangalow Info
adfas.org.au/societies/northernrivers
An end of year celebration and film night featuring The Best Offer starring Geoffrey Rush. A psychological thriller, set in Europe, the story revolves around Virgil Oldman, an eccentric managing director of an auction house who is hired by a mysterious young heiress to sell a collection of art and antiques. All is not as what first appears. Tickets Members free. Guests $25. Wine and supper included. November 2023
Diary
Coorabell Hall Fun Fridays and curries
November 2023 9
Twilight Market at Heritage House 11
Coorabell Hall
Contact coorabellhall.net
Bangalow Quilters When 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month Where All Souls’ Anglican Church Hall, Ashton St Bangalow
An exhibition by Penelope McManus ‘Songs of the Land’
12
Connecting Generations Spring Event
16
riends of Libraries author F talk with Suzanne Leal
16-17 FLOW 17-18 Bangalow Show 18
A night at Studio 54
20
ADFAS Northern Rivers
When Every Friday 5 - 8.30pm Where
Pearces Creek Talks in Conversation with Sophie Matterson: Adventurer, Writer, Photographer
25
Bangalow Tap Divas concert CWA Cake and Produce Stall
December edition deadlines What’s On 13 November Copy 13 November Advertising 13 November
Contact Karen 0413621224 Join this friendly group of local quilters who are happy to share their skills and knowledge. Visitors and new members are very welcome.
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LOCAL WILDLIFE The incidents occurred at: • Bangalow Rd, just east of Bangalow • Hinterland Way, north of Bangalow • B angalow/Lismore Rd, Bangalow Industrial Estate and • Bangalow/Lismore Rd, Springvale Hill Sadly, only one koala was lucky enough to survive his injuries, Apex, hit at Springvale Hill, sustained a fractured pelvis and abdominal injuries. He managed to climb to the very top of a Tallow tree where rescuers found him. A trap was set around the tree and it took three days for the koala to climb down the tree and enter the trap cage. At the time we were unsure if his injuries prevented him from descending the tree and were contemplating enlisting a tree climber to get him down, but he climbed down on the third day. Vet staff at Friends of the Koala are hopefully that he recovers from his injuries and can be released in the future at hopefully a more suitable habitat area. Thanks to the members of the public who phoned the Friends of the Koala hotline on 6622 1233 so that we can find these koalas to enable assistance to be given.
Koala strikes increase in 2479 Koalas are on the move and drivers are urged to slow down Photo Laura Barry
This time of the year is always very dangerous for our koalas on the move and the last few weeks have been no exception.
not all these areas are signed very well, so sometimes drivers may not be aware they are travelling through known koala corridors.
There have been a number of koala vehicle strikes recently in the Bangalow area and Friends of the Koala would like all drivers to take particular caution when driving through known koala habitat areas. Unfortunately,
During the month of September Friends of the Koala rescuers attended six vehicle strikes and numerous near misses and sightings for assessments.
There have also been numerous sightings and road crossings of a mum and her joey and her previous sub-adult joey at Byron Bay at the entrance to the road leading down to The Pass carpark. We are asking drivers to please take extra precaution when driving in this area and be alert for the likelihood of these koalas crossing the road at any time, day or night. This is a blind corner coming down from the lighthouse and a koala would not stand a chance should they be on the road at this point. Should you come across a koala that has been hit by a vehicle, please phone the Friends of the Koala 24hr hotline on 6622 1233. If you could add this phone number to your phone contacts you will be able to report any incidents very quickly. Dale Viola, Friends of the Koala
Acupuncture | Chinese Medicine | Massage
We provide comprehensive general health care, with special interests in: Women’s Health, Fertility / IVF Support, Musculoskeletal, Anxiety and Depression. We also make bespoke herbal medicine formulas. Our treatment room is in the heart of Bangalow and is private, serene and spotlessly clean, allowing you to unfold, let go and heal.
www.bangalowwitches.com.au | Olivia Whan: 0407 959 746 | Lexi Newman: 0428 151 552 | Natalie Lehrer: 0414 762 786 36
The Bangalow Herald